Advice please on Travel Sickness

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Can anyone offer advice. Ive an 11 year old who over the past 4 years or so has slowly seemed to be developing travel sickness. It reared its ugly head in 2000 when we went to Orlando for the first time. He is an unusually nervey child (not sure why) and worries for England! When we arrived at the airport he threw up every 10 minutes until we were on the plane - honest, there was nothing left to come up!! He was fine on the holiday despite it all being new. However, when we commenced the run up to going home it began again - feeling and being sick, tummy ache etc. I put these down to excitement and then also not wanting to go home. But now, it seems to be taking a grip. Weve been a number of times to DLP via Eurostar with no problems but last year (2 x ) and once this year when weve gone hes been ill on the train (goes a ghastly yellow with blue lips - hey maybe we should go at Halloween!!) and all the last morning. Is this nerves? travel sickness?
We are off in 8 days to Dorset (4 hours by train) and this week we took a trip to the seaside (55 minutes by train) when 15 minutes in it was the same old story - yellow, gagging then throwing up. He says he keeps saying to himself dont be sick dont be sick and then it happens. Ive tried talking to him and saying just dont think about it but nothing seems to work. Im loath to try travel pills unless absolutely necessary so can anyone offer advice - perhaps he needs professional help as hes often panicy in normal life??? Kids!!

 

[Goofyish]

Have you tried the Sea-Band wrist straps that are supposed to help with travel sickness?

I've heard reports that they are very good.

Sea-Band

 

[ely3857]

Hello,

I also suffer with terrible travel sickness.

I currently use the wrist bands which are excellent but a little but scratchy (avail from chemist, airports etc).

If these dont work you may have to combine them with pills which is what I do on long journeys.

Hope this helps.



Jodie

 

[florida sun]

My advice would be to try Ginger Capsuals which we buy from Boots, they are not to big to swallow. I tend to get travel sick even looking at any form of a wheel, and as for the rides at the parks,I normally have to miss out on anything that just spins around.

While we were crusing last year, both my daughter and I started off by taking Travel tablets but we felt so spaced out with them, I decided to give the Ginger Capsuals a whirl. I felt fantastic all through the cruise, so I tired 1 each day that we went to the parks and was even brave enough to try rides I would normally miss, and again I felt fine.

Apparently they have been used by travellers for years, no horrible taste and no nasty side effects. I think they only cost about 1.99 for a packet of 24.

Hope this helps.

Sue

 

[ely3857]

Hiya,

Ginger capsules? Never heard of them but am going to go get some now, Especially if they help with ride sickness aswell!



Jodie

 

[diberry]

My kids have both been really bad with travel sickness when they were little (both DH and I were too!!!) We can't do twisty rides either. My DD developed similar symptoms to your son on our first big plane trip when she was 13 - just throwing up non-stop even before we got on the plane and throughout the 8 hour journey and was ill all the first day! Maybe your son now subconsciously expects to be sick when he travels and it's a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy! You could try all the suggestions above - if he's still young enough to believe that they will work, maybe they will!! I really hope so!!

 

[snookhams]

I have suffered on and off with travel sickness all my life, on the whole I am fine in cars, and on planes but buses and coaches are a different matter, although saying that I was really ill a couple of years ago on a flight back from Orlando and the stewdardess was marvellous. Now last year I bought the wrist bands and the outbound flight was fine, I did not even attempt any of the rides that I knew would affect me, but the return flight I was not so good, although DH thinks that it was just, worry about wanting to get away before the next hurricane arrived as we were there for Charley and flew home 2 weeks later when the next (can't remember its name) was heading in the general direction. I am however interested in the ginger capsules and will probably give them a try, can you get them anywhere or at health food shops, I might even attempt a ride or two, would probably combine them with the wristbands as well.

 

[Hilary]

I think the 'psychological' approach may work for your DS, especially as you say he gets quite nervous and tries to talk himself out of being sick - it sounds as though he'd like the power of suggestion to be enough, but he's not really convinced!

If you can present some solution he hasn't previously tried (such as the bands) as being recommended as a fantastic cure for travel sickness, it may be enough to convince him that this time it really will work.

Maybe that's being too simplistic, but it certainly sounds as though his problem is at least in part down to his anxiety. It's perfectly understandable that he gets anxious about being sick to that extent, and then the whole cylcle of cause and effect starts up again next time he travels.

I hope you manage to find something to help your DS

 

[Miss Mickey Mania]

Ginger is very good for all forms of nausea, including travel sickness. I suffer a little myself and I don't really like travel sickness pills either. Take a look in Boots or even better, Holland & Barrett.

I now take a homeopathic pill called Nelson Travella. Nelson produces many natural remedies. You get it in Boots. They are tiny pills you can chew (they taste slightly sweet) and as they are homeopathic there are no worries about the drug content.

 

[Danauk]

I have suffered really badly from travel sickness all my life (I can't even manage 10 minutes on the bus into town!) and I swear by the sea bands. I also love rollercoasters and wear the sea bands when I go on them!! I don't know if they are a psycological thing or not but I wouldn't be without mine.

 

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Thanks for all the advice. Ive never seen those ginger capsules but im gonna go and look tomorrow as they sound better than actual medication. Also, those wrist bands - I agree with you diberry and hilary, I think it needs something that is "definately going to work, it says so on the packet". We used to use horlicks tablets in an empty brown tablet bottle as a placebo but he learnt to read the sweets! Its just so worrying as we also now begin each holiday assuming he will be ill and he dosnt fail to step up to the plate. Maybe they do a mouth band we could just pop over to prevent fall out

 

[DisneyRGB]

Hi

I use a medicine called Phenergan. It might be more pleasant for your son taking medicine than taking tablets (although having said that it does taste pretty foul!!) It does make you very drowsy - this could be good as it may send your son to sleep for the journey but it's not so good if you want him awake when you get there!

Rhiannon

 

[diberry]

Oh I really feel for you widget - it's miserable for him and for you. As he developed it as a 7 year old (or thereabouts) it sounds like it's a psychological rather than purely physical thing. I really hope you can get it sorted while he's still young enough to be influenced by "it's definitely going to work, it says so on the packet". One of my nephews had an extremely nervous stomach as a child (but not travel sick as a very young child) and would throw up before any new event, but he's grown out of it and is now a very confident and delightful 18 year old (though that probably seems a very long way down the road to you at the moment!!!!). Good luck!!!

 

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Diberry, thanks for those lovely comments. Im not sure he will get to 18 if he carries on being so cocky though!!! Funny, I always read your name as dilberry!! Glad I looked again.
Tried to get ginger tablets but none on shelf so ive bought travel pills and wrist bands (cor, they seem tight though - must be the newness as it says one size fits all).